Song of the Day: The Rules of the Road

The song of the day for Tuesday, November 25, 2014 is “The Rules of the Road.”

About This Song

“The Rules of the Road” was written in 1961 by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh. While this pair are best-known for their scores for Broadway musicals, such as Little Me and Wildcat, “The Rules of the Road” was not written for a show, but as a stand-alone popular song. In addition to several recordings by Tony Bennett, the song has also been recorded by Lena Horne, Shirley Horne, Nat King Cole and Rosemary Clooney. For this author, though, Tony Bennett totally owns this song.

About This Version

While Tony Bennett has recorded this song several times, I think the first is his best (though the 1964 version on When Lights Are Low is awfully good too). Recorded in 1961, “The Rules of the Road” was included on his Grammy Award winning album I Left My Heart in San Francisco, released in 1962.

“The Rules of the Road,” as well as I Left My Heart In San Francisco, is available from iTunes.